


White Orchids and Blue Roses

by mynameisserket



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Anal Sex, Anger Management, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst and Romance, Armitage Hux Has Issues, Armitage Hux Needs A Hug, Borderline Personality Disorder, Bottom Armitage Hux, Bottom Kylo Ren, Eventual Romance, Fake Marriage, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Falling In Love, First Time Blow Jobs, Gay, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Internalized Homophobia, Kylo Amidala, Kylo Ren Has Issues, Kylo Ren Needs a Hug, Kylux Week, M/M, Male Homosexuality, Naboo Culture and Customs (Star Wars), Planet Naboo (Star Wars), Sad, Slow Burn, Top Armitage Hux, Top Kylo Ren, Undercover Missions, Undercover as a Couple, Virgin Kylo Ren, Why Did I Write This?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-27
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2020-09-28 03:22:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20419073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mynameisserket/pseuds/mynameisserket
Summary: Kylo Ren and Armitage Hux set out on a mission to Naboo to infiltrate the Resistance and New Republic from the inside.





	1. Bound in Lies

**Author's Note:**

> Let's get one thing straight about this.  
I love Kylux.  
I have no idea how politics, battle ships, history or law work in the Star Wars universe and yes I did hours of research so I'm doing my best.  
Characters do not belong to me which are canon to SW. The only characters I do are the ones I made up.   
This is set pre-TFA and TLJ.  
Enjoy!

"A four-letter word, synonym for 'stupid'."

"Try 'Kylo', fits like a glove."

The fun part of the situation was that Kylo had actually started mouthing his name letter by letter, reaching to the letter 'L' when he stopped moving the pencil and looked up at Hux with annoyance laced in his amber eyes. The bad part was that Hux got smacked with the 'Corellia Speaks' straight into his smug face, making the grin slip off like the paper which was now on the floor by his feet. He stared at the half done crossword on the back of the crumpled newspaper, sighing heavily. The sounds of heavy footfalls filled the ship, and when Hux raised his head, Kylo was gone from the seat across of him.

"And what am I supposed to do now?" Hux commented, licking his lips and setting one leg over the other. "I was having fun watching you struggle with that crossword for the past hour, now I have nothing to entertain myself with." Hux raised his brows when Kylo looked over his shoulder to him, pulling the long shawl around himself tighter. He readjusted his posture and continued looking through the large glass wall of the ship, huffing with dignity. "I'm not an entertainer. Remember that this is a mission, General, not your private holo series you can watch in the front lines."

Hux stared at his back, tracing his eyes over the pale skin and the contracting muscles, the black beauty marks that littered his shoulder blades and ran down his spine. The transparent, glittering shawl obstructed his vision just a tad, purposely designed to hide the wearer's back and tease the watcher. Hux picked up the newspaper and started folding it to it's original state, his fingers tracing the imprints of Ren's handwriting. "Then what do you suggest?"

Kylo turned around to look at him fully, the long robe twisting at his ankles as he didn't make the effort to take a step away from the glass. His arms were crossed over his broad chest, the shawl wrapped around his wrists a few times so it doesn't fall off. He had an eyebrow raised, mouth opening a few times before he actually spoke. "Have you ever been to Naboo, General?"

At that, Hux rubbed the spot where his uniform was digging into his neck, staring at the now bare face of Kylo Ren. It was unusual to stare directly into his unmasked face when you spoke to him, and getting an actual human reaction out of him, not raspy modified breathing and the general aura that whatever you said to him doesn't matter. "No." At that, Kylo nodded his head and pulled up the robe so he can actually walk without tripping for the umpteenth time that night, passing Hux on the way and grabbing the perfectly folded newspaper from his hands. Hux stared at him, clenching his jaw as Kylo sank into the leather pilot chair, starting to shuffle through the paper and continue reading where he had left off. "Then I suggest reading, General Hux. We don't want you slipping up."

Hux didn't respond, just angrily huffed, grabbing the datapad from the side table next to him and tapping in his password. He started searching up terms about the Mid Rim planet, his expression focused as he tried to stare at the screen and not at Ren.

He doesn't understand what he did to deserve this.

In the back of his mind, he was trying to convince himself this was for the better. That Supreme Leader Snoke knew what he was doing when he sent the two on this mission. The other half of his mind was bickering how Snoke had enough of their petty arguments and needed to send them off as far away as possible from him. Hux was hoping that he would be getting that promotion he was always dreaming of when he got called to see the Supreme Leader, but he was met with only disappointment when he entered the room.

"As the First Order rises back to it's power," He spoke through the hologram, making Hux wince just the slightest at the rasp of his voice. "We devour the resisting systems back into our grasp. Soon enough, the entire Galaxy will be on our hands again just like our Imperialistic predecessors." Hux turned to look at Kylo, expecting to see at least a sign of confusion or curiosity about what Snoke was talking about, but he found nothing he searched for in the empty hull of his mask. He turned his head back to the hologram, straightening himself up and holding his hands a little tighter behind his back. Snoke was staring at them, as if staring straight through them, and Hux felt himself crumble under the pressure of waiting to see just what in the world this meeting was supposed to amount to.

"Yet, there are still planets that resist our destined rule and reject the First Order. That, my dear boys," Hux grit his teeth when he was referred as a 'dear boy' of the Supreme Leader, having heard many endearments like those towards Ren when he was present in the room, but horrible slurs about the Knight whenever he wasn't around to hear. Hux didn't know and didn't wish to ask if Ren truly believed what Snoke said to him, knowing that his seduction to the Dark Side was simply because Snoke offered a sense of safety to the younger man. Hux wasn't brought into the First Order because of some fabricated feeling of trust he had for the 'successor of the Emperor', but because his own ambitions lead him to believe that if he removed those threats standing in his way, he would be able to have that type of power into his hands.

The first threat that he efficiently removed from his path of ruling with the Galaxy was his own father. Patricide was not the only crime that Hux had on his sin list, but by far it was the most cruel one. It wasn't confirmed that Brendol was killed by him, as there was no evidence to show to it (other than a fair few people who decided going against Hux was a good idea) so Armitage was clean from blood on his pale hands. When Brendol died, people started noticing his son more. The things he was willing to accomplish, the things he had accomplished since his father was turned to ash and the untameable, raw power that surged through Hux's veins whenever he was commanding his men on the battlefield. It felt like after Brendol's death, the shadow that was Armitage finally got shot with a ray of sun.

That was 3 months ago. Hux was bumped to General after a number of successful operations, including the planning of one certain Starkiller. The plans were already set in motion, and if he asked himself a little deeper he knew that the only thing he would truly miss while away on this mission was not working with pathetic Officers on the bridge, or the grooming he got from older Admirals who believed in his goals. He would miss working day and night on the Starkiller Base, back bent over the desk until he couldn't feel more than ache in his muscles and a soreness in his eyes. But all of that was worth it when he remembered Supreme Leader was watching him, marveling at the technological genius that was Armitage, and praised his hard work. That, in turn, meant that if this was a success, Hux would soon get to a position higher than General, an enviable position truly. He sometimes caught himself fantasizing to wear the crown of a rising Empire-esque First Order as it's Emperor, but quickly diminished those dreams, rendering them useless if he spent his time daydreaming and not working.

Kylo, however, was the different side of the coin. Hux had noticed that instead of actually working towards his goal like a reasonable, normal human in this blasted Galaxy, he decided that a better act was to fantasize about his grandfather and his successes, and not contribute to any cause the Order was working towards. He often thought about the man behind the mask and found himself groaning whenever he did, feeling like his arm had developed a bicep from face palming so commonly along the day. Kylo truly believed he deserved to _rule_ the Galaxy but not do anything to _actually_ rule the Galaxy, which drove Hux to an edge. Did he expect that the spot on the Throne would fall into his hands as if it were pre-destined to warm his sorry ass? Was he _really_ that naive to believe that the Throne would be given up so easily in the event that Snoke dies? Hux explained his actions to himself as the underdeveloped thoughts of a spoiled child. After learning about Kylo Ren's true lineage, it was not unlikely that Leia and Han spoiled him to no end, and he ended up deserting to the Order after a minor argument. The only thing that helped Ren in this rivalry of theirs was his strength and Force, everything else was falling dominantly on Hux's side. They had known each other a full 3 months, and the addictive rivalry that made the two crave to be better in the eyes of the Supreme Leader was ruining Kylo's temper and Hux's patience.

"Means that the Naboo system is first in line to infiltrate." Kylo stepped up first, before Hux could even process what was said.

"I'll go. I can work inside the system, I know Naboo as well as any native." He speaks, modifier turning his voice to the depths of Arkanis seas. Hux couldn't stand to be outdone by Kylo Ren, and he stepped up as well, raising his chin high and avoiding the turn of Kylo's head towards him.

"I'll go. The Naboo are left with no Senator and my knowledge in politics can turn them into controllable sheep in no time." He could feel the aura radiating off of Kylo, but could not see it unlike his Force-sensitive enemy. He assumed that if it were to have a colour, it would be a deep burgundy red, thick and explosive.

Snoke let out a large, croaky laugh, making Hux shiver and adjust his posture. He almost felt like Snoke was reacting to his suggestion rather than Kylo's, making him feel smaller than a mouse in the large room. 

"That's why I'm sending both of you to the front." Snoke replied with a dry remnant of a laugh, making Hux move in his place impatiently. He swore he heard the faintest gasp from Kylo being picked up by the modifier. He looked like he was ready to protest, ready to stomp his feet like a child on the floor and yell at Snoke that it wasn't fair. It wouldn't surprise Hux at this point, but he also understood why Kylo would have an anger tantrum over this.

"Supreme Leader, I can take the mission for myself. General Hux will only weigh me down on my journey." Hux glared at Kylo, ready to lunge at him and shake his living soul out of him. The ginger was ready to speak himself, his fingers fidgeting behind his back and his feet becoming antsy in his spot as he rehearsed his excuses in his head. But, Snoke cut him off, finally getting enough of the two apparently. He silenced Kylo and Hux, making them stand their ground and bow their heads together.

"I need both of you on Naboo. Kylo, your roots bring you back to the planet's soil, I'm sure you can navigate through. And Hux, your political expertise can be useful in choosing the representative for Naboo in the Galactic Senate, one that can benefit us." Snoke stared them down and Hux nodded, assuming that if he wanted to still be in his good books, he should follow the orders he was being given.

"This is a private mission. No one should see you leave or arrive. No transmissions back to the ship, no TIE Fighters waiting for commands, no stand-by help. Prove to me you can finish this mission alone, and rewards will come your way." Hux's frustration about the prospect of a mission with the younger Sith was slightly lessened by the implication of an reward, hopefully in the form of a rank promotion. He immediately bowed, turning on his heel when he was dismissed.

"Instructions will be supplied for you. Leave in the early hours. Do not take anyone with you." Snoke's voice echoed even when Hux left the room. He was pulling off his gloves, pulling one finger at a time as he went down the hallway, repeating the orders inside his mind. His footsteps were doubled, and when he looked at his side, he noticed Ren following, making him stifle the thoughts he was having. He knew Force-sensitives used their powers to scavenge through people's minds. He wasn't keen on having Kylo read all those insults he was spewing towards him where he hoped he would be secure of conflict.

"The docks will be empty in five hours time." Kylo stopped Hux in front of his chambers, staring him down as much as he could through a combat helmet. Hux glared at the taller individual, looking away when he felt the prodding inside his mind.

"I'm aware. Is there anything you need, Ren?" Kylo tilted his head as Hux spoke, and Armitage felt invaded, trying to restrict Kylo from looking into his mind. He didn't know what he was looking for but he didn't appreciate it, making a disgruntled noise when the Knight stopped his reading.

"Meet me there. Do not be late. I expect you'll be wearing your best disguise." Hux nodded as if he were listening to Kylo, but when he actually did register the hushed words, it was late. He turned after Kylo who had already unlocked his rooms and entered, the door closing in Hux's face.

"What does he mean 'disguise'?"

It became clear what that meant at least three hours into his deliberation of what he should take on this mission, reading through the short and clear instructions sent from Supreme Leader Snoke. The Naboo, even as they were low tech advanced, still knew fairly a lot about the Resistance and the First Order. Which meant they knew who Kylo Ren was, and who General Hux was.

If they didn't know how Ren looked like, then they knew what Hux looked like. Which meant a headache for Hux and a quick raiding of the supplies on the ship from Lieutenant Mitaka under Hux's orders. Mitaka didn't dare asking what Hux needed seaweed hair dye for, hand shaking as he handed the two packets of colour to Armitage through the barely open crack of the door.

A few watched holos on how to properly (and indistinguishably) dye hair with seaweed dye, a few scoldings to Milicent not to eat the strange brown liquid and three sets of rubber gloves before he finally relaxed with a cigarette in hand on his favourite leather sofa, scrolling through the datapad to make sure he was taking everything he needed for this trip.

According to the extensive articles on the HoloNet, seaweed dye 'worked wonders into hiding a person's natural hair colour, giving the hair a natural and gleaming shine and full volume.' That, of course was not what Hux was reading those articles for, yet he was trying to figure out how long it would take before the dye falls out. They were seemingly low lasting and fell out after a week, the trace of the colour could be completely erased if using Crait salt and some water. Hux was not keen on returning to the First Order with brown hair and eyebrows.

He packed three full suits which were stripped of any Order insignia, changing into a full white tuxedo for his trip and leaving his General suit neatly folded in his bedroom drawer. He packed essentials like his datapad, hair gel, blaster pellets and switchblades. In his knee length boots, he hid two standard filleting knives, while his blaster was strapped to the belt of his outfit securely. It was almost time to leave the ship, and he made a few important calls before leaving.

Hux, like the responsible man he was, left Phasma in charge of his wing for the time being, not mentioning where he was leaving or when he was returning to the Captain. She didn't press on it, either, but asked him to return to her so she wouldn't 'deal with these buffoons alone'. Hux also left her in care of his cat, which he lovingly sweet talked to and pet under her small head before leaving.

Hux was standing on the take off station alone, looking around the massive space around himself and inspecting the ships with upmost care. He studied a crack in the wall very carefully, scratching it with his pointer finger even if it didn't do much while wearing a pair of new leather gloves. He checked the way his hair was dyed in the reflection of a Fighter, running his fingers through his newly washed hair. He had done a good job, but the small smear near his right eyebrow made him dissatisfied.

While he was inspecting the minor slip up, he heard footsteps down the halls. Turning, he straightened his posture in the eyes of Kylo Ren, who was carrying 2 large bags behind him, levitating in the air.

"I see you've altered your appearance. I somehow find the brown more doable than your natural hue." Kylo said, still wearing the dark helmet over his head and hiding what was probably a smirk on his face. It made Hux irritated, more than the comment about his freshly coloured hair. He looked towards their ship, a polished freighter they had taken away from Resistance fighters during an encounter near Takodana. No one knew it would come a time when they would be able to fly it outside the Leader's main ship.

"You've packed as if you're leaving for a holiday, not a mission, Lord Ren." He spat, feeling the small bag he had next to his ankle; either he was too under packed or Kylo packed too much. Hux didn't even own much to carry it with him like tons of cargo on the small freighter, and it came to a surprise to see how many trinkets Kylo was probably carrying in those bags. His hands were becoming restless again and he decided it was time for them to leave, seeing that the five hour mark they had set had officially passed. He felt watched as he wrote the codes into the side of the gate. Kylo wasn't moving from his spot, still holding the black bags in the air effortlessly. 

The freighter was easy to unlock, as they got the passcode when they obtained the tech piece. Hux wasn't quite keen on using this as a term of transportation, as it was too slow and small to actually move through space freely and Naboo was at least a day's worth of travel away. He knew he couldn't use one of the First Order vessels as, reminder, this was a private mission, making him sigh as he looked back to the various black ships aligned and ready to use. 

The transport opened and Hux went inside, carrying his suitcase with him and stuffing it in one part of the ship where he felt like he wouldn't be needing it. Kylo followed suit and he closed the door, levitating his luggage into a compact storage near the pilot's chair. 

Hux hadn't paid much mind to how Kylo looked before they came on the freighter, but he did notice now that the robes he was wearing were not akin to the ones before. He was wearing a dark coat over something much longer under it, and the hood he constantly hid his head in had small bumps on the side that Hux couldn't identify as a true shape. Armitage settled to watching him move around the compact ship and constantly fuss over the fabric and would often look down to watch where he stepped. It seemed like a chore for Kylo to even get from the pilot seat and back to the door of the ship. 

"Do you need help flying the ship?" Hux asked, looking at the back of his head as he heard the machine of the freighter groan under Kylo's commands. He was flipping on the switches and checking routinely on every screen, before the ground shook under Hux and forced him to sit down in a stray chair away from the control panel. "I can fly it alone."

Hux spent a good amount of time clinging to his dear life when Kylo got the ship up a few thousand feet and speed through the narrow opening of the gate, the engine growling under them like a podracer. His heart was beating 700 beats per minute when Kylo maneuvered the ship out of the area with a speed accelerating over 200 kilometers a minute, making Hux crutch his stomach gently and close his eyes to keep what food he had in him down. The Knight avoided a rain of meteorite remnants with elegant spins and twirls, making Hux basically crawl on his knees back to the chair he was sitting in every time he fell off. 

When Kylo finally stopped flying like he was being chased, he turned around and looked at a positively greening Hux, his hand over his mouth as he felt on the verge of vomiting. "This is why I don't take anyone on my missions." Kylo said, unprompted, making Hux furrow his brows and glare at Kylo where he believed his eyes were. "Why don't you mind your business and actually change out of those robes. You made me change my hair and you haven't changed the slightest bit. Is this some sort of ploy?"

Kylo stood up, hands pushing from the control panel up towards his head. Hux watched from his safe spot on the floor as Kylo ripped back the hood with a fury, pressing two buttons on the lower part of his helmet before the sounds of mechanical whirrs filled the ship. 

Hux had never seen Kylo Ren without a mask before. He was expecting, well, scars and premature wrinkles, reddened eyes and a yellow tint to them. Thinning hair or at least a sulken face but he didn't expect what he _saw. _Kylo Ren was..He was. Hux couldn't think of words to describe the man as he stared with adoration filling his lungs and a small 'oh' leaving his parted lips, making his ears redden at the tips and a tingle creep up his neck. Kylo Ren was, at the very least, astonishing.

The metal helmet was thrown to the side on the co-pilot empty seat, making a gentle _thump _and mimicking the sound of Hux's heartbeat in his ears. Kylo's hair was braided an intricate way, going inwards and outwards on the nape of his neck, a crown of raven hair that Hux wouldn't dare _imagine_ on a human before. Two strands were falling in front of his ears and the rest was coiled in two gentle buns by the sides of his head, held up by what looked like two crescent moon holders made of shining gold. Kylo's face was painted, by what Hux could make out from the constantly changing and revolving light around them. From his neck tone Hux would see that he was quite pale, but his face was completely covered in a matte white, with two red dots circled in his cheeks while his upper lip and the middle part of his lower were painted the exact shade of burgundy.

Kylo reached up to his neck and with one swift move undid a button of his long cloak, letting it drop to the floor underneath him. Gold beads were adorning his neck and thick bracelets were hanging from his wrists, his fingers covered in handcrafted rings. The robe he wore was more of a dress, really, but Hux thought that referring to it as a dress would actually make him go insane. It was pure satin, a deep violet colour that contrasted the gold and the blood red, draping down to drag after him on the ship floor. His waist was tightened with a belt made of the same material, a shining yellow thread pierced through the belt to resemble the designs on his bracelets. The shawl was transparent and covered his open back, while when he spread it around himself to show off his elegance, the sewn in roses and petals on the shawl were made visible. 

"Does this suit you better?"

Hux didn't answer, but only cleared his throat, running his hand through his hair to hopefully look a little more collected. He couldn't conduct a sliver of confidence to appear in him as this man appeared in front of him like a diamond from a coal, making Hux shiver in his spot. And his_ voice. _

"You should get used to this." Kylo mentioned, lifting his <strike>dress</strike> robe to walk back to the pilot seat and sit down, still facing the General. He crossed his leg languidly over the other and his ringed hands rested on his lap, the picture of pure poise and elegance rendering Hux speechless. When Armitage found his heart still covering in his chest and trying to seize itself, he sat up again, looking Kylo in the face for the first time. That only made his embarrassment worse. The man was so young and looked like he belonged in a painting, not in the real world.

"Since when do you wear dresses, Ren? Is it m-mandatory for this mission?" He curses himself inside his head a thousand times for stammering, pulling on the edgeof his leather glove as an excuse to look like he's busy. Ren's lips upturned into a hint of a smirk, eyelids lowering. 

"Since the Queen has been MIA for quite some time, they are looking for a Senator and a monarch to replace her. Of course, I'm not planning to become Queen under her disappearance, but the meeting of the royalties on Naboo means you have to be a family member of the last Queen to attend. There, they speak about needed reforms and the upcoming elections for Queen, or the needed sources to find Sosha Soruna." Kylo Ren tilted his head to the side, blinking slowly as if waiting for Hux to understand. "Only women are eligible to speak in the last Queen's behalf, and considering I am a direct relative of one of them, I burdened myself with the disguise of a Nabooian royalty."

Hux furrowed his brows even lower, pursing his lips in confusion. That seemed kind of..unexpected. Again, he comes back full circle to the things he learnt in the Academy when he was much younger, feeling at the dog tags dangling on his neck. The Mid Rim is the last resort of elegance and formality when you're travelling from the Core outwards, but if you're travelling from the Regions inwards, the Mid Rim is the first circle of snottiness and people who actually believed in table manners. 

"You could always go as yourself and not as S-Sorena? Soruna's relative." Hux struggled, feeling his tongue curl around his mouth unaturally.

"Did you not hear a word I said." Kylo deadpanned, staring straight through him. 

"Going as a relative to my grandmother is not eligible, as she's a past Queen and we would get our cover blown. Now, to speak about the plan of action when we land on Naboo." Kylo stood up, moving his hand to pull out one of his bags and unzip it with the assistance of the Force, taking out a list from the side pocket. The inside of the bags were filled with cloths and dresses of the same caliber, just with different designs and separate headpieces.

The next few hours of their ride up until the crossword incident was Ren teaching Hux the basics of Nabooian etiquette, like removing his gloves whenever he shook hands with someone, addressing every former Queen as 'M'lady' and the current royalties as 'your Grace', waiting for everyone to stop talking before he starts eating at the table and various other rules Hux couldn't care less about. He hated that about himself, but men like Ren were the reason Hux was bedded by more than enough strangers in his life. Sharp jaw, prominent collarbones sticking against satin, full lips. He finds himself watching Ren's movements more than he nods along to whatever manner the Knight is trying to teach him, still sitting quite sulkenly in his seat. 

And that's when he snapped back out of his revisit of the day and noticed that he hadn't read a thing about Naboo even if the datapad had opened the article minutes ago, making him shake his head and start reading. His eyes started drooping almost immediately, however, pale lashes blinking desperately to keep him up. He tried his luck at reading but he didn't even go through a paragraph before he turned off the datapad and curled up against the side of the ship and started slowly dozing off to sleep. The ride was long, anyways. 

* * *

When he woke up, Ren was lowering the spacecraft. His eyes still filled with tears from his well needed rest, he sat up and felt his joints crack under the pressure. He set a hand on his neck and felt the pain from sleeping in an awkward position for a really long time, moving it left-right to try and relieve himself of some stress. Kylo had seemed to notice his awakening and was adjusting the necklace around his neck when he landed the ship, standing up quickly. 

"Take this." He says, voice a little broken for reasons unknown. Hux looked up at him with reddened eyes from rubbing them from his sleep, staring at the thing Kylo was insisting for Armitage to take. It seemed like two earpieces, translucent and almost unrecognizable when he set them in. They turned on themselves, but when Kylo spoke again, he didn't notice a drastic difference, just that Kylo's voice was a little more stable. 

"I'm taking quick-working pills to make my voice higher in pitch and thinner, so I sound female. These earpieces will block out their workings for you, but to the rest, I'll sound like a woman." Kylo quickly spoke, pulling out the bags and setting them by the side of the currently opening doors. He checked his reflection in the glass one more time and turned to Hux, the door having opened completely. 

"Walk out first. We're on Theed, and remember, this is private. No real information given." Kylo warns, and Armitage nods, feeling the smell of honeydew hits his nose quite strongly when Kylo came near. 

Hux exited out first, being met by two women in orange, long robes, bowing their heads in respect to the man who stepped out. He smiled at them even if he wasn't sure if they could notice him smiling, before raising his head and staring at a man approaching the freighter. 

He was of shorter stature than both Hux and Kylo, propping himself on a wooden cane with a dog headed silver handle, his graying hair falling into his eyes. He smiled at Hux and then turned towards the ship, where Kylo was coming down the stairs carefully. The two women went to his side, each handing him a helping hand so he doesn't slip. 

"It took you a long time." The man said, looking from the 'queen' towards Hux, who only waited for Kylo to bring his act together and actually get the mission going. Hux, on the other hand, settled on looking around himself. 

The sound of waterfalls filled the background and the scent of trees and forests enveloped him, making him breathe in the cripsy air. The weather was heavy with rain and, when he looked up, he could swear he felt gentle raindrops drip on his nose from the looming dark clouds above. A few ships passed the sky and Hux watched as they left in the distance to a large building in the distance, hanging off a steep hill. Hux turned to Kylo when he heard the other speaking, making himself more approachable.   
  


"Terribly sorry, traffic in Coruscant is always so busy." Kylo had developed a seemingly Core accent during the time Hux spent sleeping in the freighter, making Hux squint his eyes and stare at Kylo grudgingly. Kylo didn't turn his head to meet his eyes but he did grab at his forearm, linking it with his elbow so they were pressed together by the side. The man grinned large, the collars of his shirt upturned to meet the lines of his jaw, making him seem even smaller than he was. 

"It's such a pleasure to finally meet you. You are always welcome to visit our planet, Larnida. I wished your godmother was here, but it seems we won't be getting her back." At that, Kylo nodded solemnly, pulling up a hand together with his shawl to mock a sob. The man looked from Kylo to Hux, as if he was expecting something from him. Hux turned to Kylo, staring at him before he gently set a hand on his back, as if he was there to comfort him. "I apologize. All this travelling makes me weary." Kylo lies straight through his teeth, wiping at his_ seriously_ teared up eyes. How could Kylo do that? He didn't take him for a liar. The man nodded and set both hands over the cane's head. 

"Understandable. Well, you and your.." The man waved his hand towards Hux, eyeing him once to try and find a proper term to address him. Somehow, Hux hadn't noticed but the two maids were standing next to them, and a third woman, dressed in a silk red gown with silver accents approaching from the back. Her hair was in large but flowy curls, wearing the same pattern of lipstick as Kylo, just without the lower lip strand. "Good evening, gentlemen. M'lady." She bowed her head and Kylo did the same, smiling. 

"This is my husband, Beneh." Kylo turned to Hux and stared at him with a look of pure adoration, his hold on Hux getting a little tighter. Armitage stared back at Ren in confusion, his mind filled with question marks as he stammered. "We aren't-" The grasp on his arm became increasingly tight and he bit his tongue, turning his head to the man and the woman and nodding. Kylo pursed his lips but kept that confident and naive like smile on his painted face, showing gentle dimples. 

"You aren't what?" The woman asked, bright blue eyes steady on Hux's as he felt himself shrink under the sheer amount of pressure that was put on his still asleep mind. Kylo waved his hand, laughing a little. Hux could feel the rumbles of Kylo's laughter under his skin. "He means we've only given each other the word and haven't officiated it yet. He's my _fiance. _Isn't that right, Beneh?" 

Hux nodded as he saw no room for escape, grinning from ear to ear to sell the picture-perfect lie. Oh how he hated Ren. "Exactly what I meant. The turbulence got to me as well, I suppose. Can't think straight."

The man and the woman, both seemingly kind but also very prying, congratulated them, and Kylo only bowed his head as a thanks. "Beneh, these are my godmother's father and mother, Taner and Nelia Soruna." Hux started removing his left hand glove to shake their hand, before the woman gleamed with excitement. "Have you shared rings?"

Hux turned to Kylo and Kylo looked up at him. The thoughts they shared seemingly ran through both of them and Kylo nodded, showing his right hand to the older couple. His left hand was holding Hux's right now, clutching it tightly as the royal members examined the ring on his ring finger. Hux soon felt a ring wrap around his ring finger on his right hand, and he noticed one missing ring from Kylo's left hand. 

"It's simply delightful." The man responded and Hux finished taking off both his gloves, resorting to just shaking their hands and letting them look at it briefly. While Kylo's was a gold carved ring with a large, red jewel in the middle, Hux's was a crown-like woven gold with smaller set red stones in between the gaps. 

"We've been holding you here for far too long. Come, before it rains." Nelia spoke and motioned to the girls to take the 'couple's' bags, making sure they closed the door of the freighter and it was taken care of. Kylo and Hux continued walking after Nelia and Taner, still linked with each other as the other hand of the Knight held his dress so he doesn't slip.

"Since when are we _engaged_?"

"Since today, now quiet down and act like you're desperately in love with me." 

Hux sighed heavily but let out a joyous, fake chuckle, making himself feel like an absolute fool for coming here in the first place. Yet, he never stopped glancing at the ring as they walked.

"You do realize right-handed rings are usually a staple of same-sex couples, right?"

"..Of course I know."


	2. Grand Marshal from Arbra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo Ren lies through his teeth and Armitage Hux nods through. The Knight is a good liar.

"How come you left without your handmaidens, Larnida? Usually Nabooian queens don't leave without supervision or a body double." 

They were entering the Royal Palace's Courtyard, a vast expanse of land which was covered with yellowing tiles with an orange tint, the marble fountains working on each side of the Plaza drawing Hux's eyes. He traced the droplets that fell from the sides before his eyes swept to the next fountain, and the next, making him wish to put his hand under the water and feel the cool liquid. Unlike Arkanis, which rained constantly and was covered with clouds, Naboo seemed lively even through the cloudy sky. He doubted Naboo was a planet that storms oftenly, which meant this entire glorification of the water bodies was justified. 

The steps were steep, causing Ren to lean against Hux's shoulder gently. Armitage finally caught a small glimpse of the shoes Ren was wearing, which were closed off black sandals with a lifted heel. He didn't understand why but just seeing what he couldn't see before of Ren's figure made him feel like he was witnessing a slow reveal, looking at the small pieces of an unfinished painting. He looked down at the water under the bridge, the remnants of the light from the planet's sun reflecting into the water and deep down, into what Hux assumed were golden coins. Who used physical currency these days? 

"Coruscant is a guarded city, Mr. Soruna. But also, the high levels of our ecumenopolis are always a good target when empty. I couldn't leave our apartment building without any supervision." Kylo starts, smiling to the well dressed people of the Palace who were currently roaming the large Courtyard. Hux was still enthralled by the designs of the large palace infront in them, the thick trees surrounding the path they were walking on and the way the men and women, no matter their rank, dressed on this Republic-owned planet. 

"On what level do you reside, m'lady?" One of the handmaidens following the two agents whispered, looking up at Hux and then drifting her deep brown eyes towards Ren. Ren smiled at the seemingly very younger girl, shaking the strands of his hair away from his face. "I heard the higher you are, the more wealth you enjoy, on Coruscant." 

"We're based on Level 4673, sweetheart." Ren whispered just enough for the girls to hear and Hux chuckled at the gentle gasp he heard from the two girls, astonishment already clear in their whispers. He had heard that the Core world housed their wealthy and influential families on the top floors, where they enjoyed clear air, exotic resturaunts and lovely theatre plays, while the rest who lived in the 'underground' suffocated in Coruscant's toxic waste and rallied gangs; on the verge of death. 

The trip inside the Royal Palace took longer than Hux expected, which made him feel so unimportant in his false uniform infront of this gigantic royal establishment. However, being linked with Kylo Ren who, even beyond this false masquerade was actually connected to someone who ruled and spent their days inside this elegant building, made chills run down his spine. He had been staring at Ren's profile for the entirety of the time they were walking through the Courtyard, not even hearing that the royal woman asked him a question. 

“Look at them, so in love. Remember when we were that way, Taner?” Nelia cooed gently, holding her hands clasped in front of her chest. Hux snapped out of his trance admiring the Nabooian prince, making Kylo chuckle under his breath and raise a cocky brow at Armitage. Taner laughed at his wife’s comment and at the seemingly even more entertained Kylo, Hux cleared his throat. 

“Can you repeat that, your Grace?” Hux inquired, getting a small nudge from Kylo. He turned to see what was the signal, and Kylo gently pointed to a statue of his grandmother. Hux’s legs felt like they would give out. Ren was so much more alike her.

“I asked where you are from.” Nelia spoke up again and Hux opened his mouth, before Kylo intercepted. “Arbra. Beneh is from Arbra.” Kylo lowered his voice as the two older residents of the Palace were intercepted by more of the temple’s maidens, seemingly busy with arranging dinner and a spacecraft for the two men. 

“I heard your thoughts.” Kylo started, rolling his shoulder. “You were ready to say Arkanis.” Hux gave Ren a pointy glare, making Kylo whisper even lower. He didn’t know how it sounded with his female voice, but the male one was even more dangerous so near his ear. “Private mission, General.”

“It’s hard speaking when you’re constantly being interrupted.”

“I’m saving our mission from definite failure.”

“I’m your only lifeline in those sandals so you better quiet yourself unless you want to break an ankle.”

“And what? You seem to enjoy holding me for that matter.” 

Hux bit on his tongue so an insult doesn’t spew out like venom, making Kylo pull that obnoxious “I know everything” expression into place. The handmaidens had disbanded from the hallway and Kylo refixed his stare from the General to the middle aged woman, seemingly forever smiling. 

“We’re sorry for the delay, Larnida. Let us show you the Throne room before your departure.” 

Hux continued marveling at the palace’s intricate and careful designs, his breath drawn out from his lungs with every step they took. It hollowed out in the building’s empty hallways, stretching out seemingly forever with endless lines of pillars as high as the sky holding up the antique establishment.

“I’m sorry, departure?” Ren cocked his head but grinned with his tongue sticking through the gap between his teeth, looking from Taner to Nelia. They were approaching a large door at the end of the corridor, guarded by men from each side who nodded to the group in respect. Grabbing the handles, the door was swung open to reveal what was referred as the queen’s Throne room.

It was made wall-to-wall with light marble, the staircases grand and looking like they were fit for such important individuals like Queens of the Mid Rim. Kylo didn’t seem phased by the swirls and swatches of paint in the walls that looked like they were an artistic choice of the highest degree, or the circular ceilings with a large chandelier in the middle, illuminating the room with it’s plasma-based candles.

The few chairs in the middle of the room and the long table that lay parallel to the large wall window were enough to set the minimalist, but extravagant style to the setting. From the window, Hux concluded, you could observe the entirety of the Courtyard and the river Solleu. Hux felt Kylo move away from him with his palm gently tracing the General’s elbow before departure, settling his ringed hand on the table before eyeing the large Throne in front of the window. Nelia stood close by Armitage, her hands crossed and covered by her long, woven sleeves. 

“Well, yes. We are expecting more of our relatives and potential Queens to arrive in Theed, and the Royal House can only host so much.” She pursed her lips, watching Kylo stare adoringly at the large, spherical chair, before he turned to Nelia and wiped that lustful look from his face. “We will be hosting your arrival in Varykino.”

At that, Kylo seemed to pale at the neck, because Hux didn’t think he could get any paler under the face paint. He didn’t understand why Kylo reacted the way he did, but he pulled a chair close and sat down, sinking his full body on the plush seat. “Varykino?” Hux stammered, raising a brow. Taner took a seat opposite of Ren, opening a tightly screwed bottle of rich, red wine. 

“Varykino was the resort of the Naberrie family, and Queen Amidala’s before her late death. The family house has been given to the Royal House of Naboo for use whenever the Theed Palace cannot take more guests, and usually it is reserved for special occasions, like this one.” Ren signalled for ‘enough’ when his glass was more than half full, his shaking hand reaching for the crystal glass and smiling a bit unsurely at Taner as a response. Hux only found it fit to sit down next to him.

“Mr. Soruna, the jest is quite large for me. I am simply your daughter's godchild, I couldn’t simply-” He stopped to take a breath, laughing a little at his own surprise. Hux caught wind of what was going on, his eyes leaving his own glass when Taner filled his as well. 

“It’s too much of us to ask to be seated in Amidala’s residency. No matter if she has gifted it to the current Queen,” Hux finished Ren’s thought and took a small gulp of his own, feeling as if Nelia’s sea eyes would pierce through him. Taner simply shook his head after sipping his wine, tasting the richness of it before replying. 

“We didn’t even know Sosha was the godmother of someone. It would be a pleasure, and a payment of our uninterested response to your call, to give you the Varykino palace as your trip’s residency.” Kylo, who was still quite shaky, was now taking almost desperate gulps from the wine, avoiding looking directly at their hosts. Hux’s hand found Kylo’s as an instinct, trying to make him calm down before he ruins their mission with his anxiety. He could understand why Ren didn’t want to reside in the former house of his grandmother, but that didn’t mean he had to shake like a leaf at every mention of her.

“Some wine.” Kylo compliments, setting his glass on the table. Nelia runs her hands through the ends of her curly hair, making a small click with her tongue before responding. “It’s from Hiram Zataire’s personal vineyards. He supplies the Royal House with all it’s grapes.” 

Armitage leaned a little forward in his seat and also took a sip. They were right, it was tasty and left a full, blooming richness in your mouth as an aftertaste. “Captain of the naval forces for the Empire?” He asks, having heard of the name quite some times in his days at the Academy. Taner nodded, waving a hand in the air. “Quite the same. His eldest daughter runs the vineyards now.”

Ren took the glass again and drank the wine fully, batting his eyelashes and turning his head when he was overcome with his own shakiness. Hux stared at him, biting the inside of his cheek and strengthening his hold on his hand, trying to get a response from him. “Is she alright?” Nelia asked, her face contorted into an angelic sorrow, almost, her hand up in the air to call one of the maidens. 

“I’m alright, I’m quite alright,” Ren stopped her hand, boasting in his thick Coruscantii accent. Hux was feeling this mission already turning to ash, looking around the room as a resort to avoid awkwardness. “I think I feel a little sick. We should be heading to Varykino soon.”

“Yes, yes, you will be just as soon as they prepare you your transport. We’re sending you personal guards and a handmaiden, to aid you.” Nelia whispered over the rim of her glass, peering at Kylo. “How long have you two been together?”

At that, Hux pipes in, leaning his chin on his palm. “3 galactic years, almost. We have been promised to each other for 6 months.” At that, Ren swiped at his shoulder with his hand, which was supposed to look like a playful and bashful response, but his eyes spoke louder than his actions.  _ I’m going to execute you. _

“How wonderful!” Nelia exclaims, mouth set in a large toothed grin. “But, you do understand that a Queen cannot be Queen with an offspring on her lap, yes?” At that, Hux almost choked on his wine and Kylo widened his eyes, before breaking into a posh giggle. 

“Oh no, Mrs. Soruna. We don’t plan to have any children,” Armitage stared at Kylo who adjusted his rings on his fingers as he spoke, before pulling the shawl closer around himself modestly. “At least for now. And I don’t plan on becoming Queen, that is too much work for me. See, we are constantly busy running errands here and there, with my husband in the Republic military-”

“Beneh, you’re in the military?” Taner asked next, already pouring him another round of wine. Hux nodded and took the glass in his hand, circling the purple substance inside. “It is a payment, and a better job than I could ever find on Arbra through the trees and thick packed forests.” 

“He found his job through the Rebellion camps set there. He was always a fanatic for the Rebel Alliance and their army, even from young feet. Arbra is quite the place to hide.” Kylo commented, and Hux only nodded along, as he had not much knowledge about the Mid Rim planet. He had heard of it, but never in full length; all he knew that it was a planet under the New Republic now. 

“That makes you a Seperatist?” Taner pat his mouth with the napkins set in front of them, raising both brows in questions. Armitage shook his head, as he found the debate between Centrists and Seperatists quite annoying, considering the fact that he was all pro removing both of those ideals and settling for an Imperial mindset. “I’ve never truly agreed with any thinking regime. I believe we should just settle for peace over the wars being waged every few decades. It’s splitting all of us apart.” He looks around the palace and takes a tasting sip of the wine, sighing. “But it seems Naboo hasn’t been split open by these debates yet.”

“And we are quite thankful.” Nelia replied. 

“What rank are you, Beneh?” At this, Hux stammered, looking to Kylo. Was he supposed to say his own rank, a rank lower, a rank higher? He pretended to adjust his engagement ring, clenching his jaw. 

“I’m a General.” Kylo let out a bubbling giggle again, holding his sparkling glass in his hand and the other waving in front of his face. He seemed a little flushed, maybe the alcohol was getting to him.

“Don’t mind my modest fiance,” Kylo laughs still, his hair slowly starting to unravel at the base of his neck. “He’s a General, yes, but he’s going to be moved to Grand Marshal in no less than a month. He deserves it, honestly.”

Hux squinted, an unfamiliar feeling resting inside his chest. “You mean that?”

Ren turned to him in the bliss of the moment, face illuminated by the lights around them. He almost looked accidentally marvelous, grinning ear to ear and lipstick gently removed from his lower lip. His face honestly moved to a feeling of confusion, he nodded, turning to Tenar and Nelia in surprise. “Of course I do, Beneh. You work so hard to get the job done, you deserve the place.” 

Hux felt honestly touched. His smile turned genuine for the first time that night and he watched Ren start shying away in realization to what he just said, drinking from his wine like he depended on it. When he finished the glass, he stood up, resting his palms on the table.

“It’s getting quite late. We should be leaving, truly.” Kylo pressed both palms together in front of himself, looking down at the shorter woman who stood up next. Hux got up as well and looked through the window, noticing the raindrops streaming down the glass and the wind ravaging the trees outside. 

“Well, if you are so insistent..” Nelia turned around, women following her quickly, down to her footstep, before they returned with a pair of golden keys and a few blankets rolled up in the hands of the maidens, seemingly holding something inside.

“Here are the keys to Varykino.” She placed them softly in Hux’s gloved hand, making him curl his fingers around the cold objects tightly. “The girls will send you out to your freighter. May the Force be with you.” 

Kylo smiled, letting Hux set his hand on his back as if he was leading him out. “And with you.” He responded before they left the Throne room, the doors closing behind them. As soon as they were left alone, Kylo’s shoulders slumped and he grunted. “These meetings take forever.”

Hux only nodded and continued walking, finding it appropriate to remove his hand from Kylo’s warm back. 

The girls truly took them out through the same halls they entered from, their freighter completely washed off from the rain. Hux walked closely to Ren, watching him cover his head with his shawl. “I hate rain.” He mutters, waiting in the whirling wind as Hux unlocks the ship. Armitage glares at him and lets him enter first, muttering “You’re telling me” under his breath.

The ship was packed when they were leaving, with three handmaidens and a couple of royal guards to help them during their stay in Varykino. Kylo squeezed himself next to Hux on the 

back of the ship, finally undoing the bindings of his satin dress and pulling the holders out of his hair. 

“You truly meant it?” Hux asks again, making Kylo turn to him with his hair now down and stomach relaxed from the tightening binds. 

“Don’t take it to heart, General.” He spoke, before leaning his head on Hux’s shoulder, still shivering from the cold. “I’m just presenting you better.”


	3. Discussions and Dancing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Festival of Glad Arrival is nearing.

Kylo was spent, it was noticeable in the way his eyes drooped and his head lulled side to side with every rocking of the ship. His legs were pressed together and in his lap lay the golden holders, a few strands of his black hair stuck in between their teeth. He didn't seem to remember that he had a face full of makeup on him until after he rubbed his eyes furiously to wash away the tiredness, looking at his palm now white and black with makeup. When he turned to Hux to ask if he had ruined the work, Hux barely contained his laugh, eyeing Kylo's right eye which looked like it was melting down his cheek. 

It was still raining when they set foot on Varykino. Kylo was guided by the maids inside and Hux only followed, carrying the bags they had left behind and cursing at the rain for almost making him slip. He didn't have time to appreciate Lake Country through the pouring rain, not stopping until he felt the pit pattering of the cold raindrops stop hitting his exposed neck. He looked up, noticing that he had went through the doorway and was under dry now, sighing heavily and setting the luggage down by the door. Kylo was already pressed against one of the walls and spoke to the an older woman, which Hux later learnt was a keeper of the palace. 

Kylo had his hand over his heart, breathing heavily. When Hux approached, he noticed the rest of the makeup was steadily wiping off, raindrops collected in Ren's thick eyelashes. Hux stood next to him, wiping at his forehead with the back of his hand.

"We're sent by the Royal Family. We'd like to take our rooms now." Ren stammered, looking around himself before his eyes fell on Hux. The keeper, a thin woman with wrinkles and a tightly pulled bun, nodded, carefully studying Armitage. At some point he wondered if she had recognized him. Ren held up a pair of keys as they dangled from his middle and pointer finger, letting the woman take them with ease. She inspected the engravings on the sides of them and set them in her pocket.

"Oh, yes, right away your Grace. The room is up the stairs, we will take your luggage up shortly."

"Room..?" Kylo questioned, hand slowly slipping down from chest to his side. The woman widened her eyes and shook her head positively.

"Well, yes. The keys you've handed me are to the master bedroom of late Queen Amidala." 

At that, Hux sucked in his cheeks and looked away. Oh, Force, was he supposed to _ sleep _ with Ren now?

"I- We thought we'd be set in different rooms." Kylo blinked as if he were made a fool in the situation by the older couple, but the only one who made him the fool was his own self. He said that they were engaged, and even if Hux was involved in this misunderstanding, he still choked down a laugh, earning a glare from Ren. The woman deadpanned, poking her cheek with her tongue.

"Aren't you to be wed, your Grace?" She looked down at Kylo's ringed hand and that made the younger man cover it up, that familiar red tint covering his neck. 

"Well, yes, but-" Kylo scrunched himself up as if shying away from the judgmental stare of the keeper.

"Then I see no reason why you wouldn't enjoy the bedroom." She said, beckoning the handmaidens forwards. Kylo started fuming and the redness started travelling towards the exposed places on his face. Hux stopped finding this funny immediately, grabbing Kylo's raising hand and pulling it by his side forcefully before Ren could do something stupid.

"Yes, of course. My wife is just very tired and doesn't know what she's talking about. Thank you, we'd take the bedroom." Armitage smiled and the keeper smiled back, not knowing that Ren had attempted at her life just a second ago. Ren, in the meantime, wriggled his wrist away from Hux and turned his head, walking towards the staircase immediately where the people they had come with were headed.

"And what about dinner?" The keeper asked, hands clasping behind her back. Hux turned to her, having completely forgotten they hadn't had dinner. While he was used to skipping meals, he wasn't sure Kylo was the same, so he decided it would be reasonable to bring Ren some food just in case.

"I suppose if it were no trouble, take it up to our room." Hux noted, watching the end of Kylo's dress swipe up the corner of the staircase.

"Noted, sir." 

Armitage was the last one to follow inside the large room they were setting up, standing by the door. The handmaidens removed the sheets and pillows and replaced them with new ones who were sent from Theed, just in case either of them were clean obsessed and didn't wish to sleep in lived in sheets. The room was gigantic, with dark walls and marble floors, fluffy carpet of what Hux could make out was some sort of skinned animal, the bed larger than what was considered a king size. Hux stared at Ren who was standing in the middle of the room like a statue, moving only his right hand around and pointing to the women where to set what. 

The empty dresser was soon filled with various fabrics and colourful dresses, his headdresses set on the various dummy dolls on the makeup booth beside the balcony door. Speaking of it, Hux noticed it was floor-to-ceiling matted glass, covered with violet curtains so the sunlight doesn't filter in, while the second set in front of it was a pearly white. The makeup booth featured a large mirror that was currently reflecting Kylo's back, shawl discarded on top of the carved wooden back of the chair pushed into the booth. The vase descripted a woman picking flowers beside the mirror was empty and dusty, Armitage wondered since when it had been like that. 

Kylo ordered for the girls to bring the vases of water they were carrying inside the bathroom, which was currently dark and unlit. From the side, Hux could only see a deep emerald bath, carved inside the floor in a round shape. The reflection of the light from the bedroom showed only the shadows of large wax candles and bottles of various scented oils. 

Armitage settled to sit on the bed when the girls had finally folded the blankets neatly on it. It was a canopy bed, and the filtering curtains showed only outlines of the people moving behind them. The sheets were cotton but the mattress was probably feather based, sinking under Hux's small frame. Their blankets were satin and the pillowcases were silk, all various shades of red and grape purple. 

Kylo was shaking. His hands were trying to warm up his body, rubbing up and down on his upper arms and shivering. His voice often caught in his throat as he tried talking to the maidens, but for whatever reason, he couldn't croak out anything correctly. Ren's bracelets clattered on his wrists as if replacing the chattering of his teeth. 

"Ren, what are you doing?" Hux finally spoke when the last of the girls left the room. Kylo turned his head from where he was touching a glass container filled with pearls and amethysts, fear written in his eyes.

"I forgot we're 'engaged'." He tried, but failed, at smiling, swallowing thickly. His head was pounding whether from the wine or from this room, he was not quite sure.

"Well your forgetfulness can kill our mission quite quickly." Hux commented, starting to unbutton his overcoat. Kylo waved his hand dismissively, closing the aforementioned glass container after dunking his fingers inside.

"Oh please, Hux, as if the meeting didn't tire me enough." Kylo huffed.

Hux unzipped his bag, opening the drawer beside the bed, already claiming the side beside the door his own. On the opposite side, Ren was setting small trinkets like his datapad, a few books, scar covering cream and more inside. Hux was placing his outfits inside, considering Kylo's extensive wardrobe caught up the entire space of the dresser. He wondered where Kylo even got those robes and feathery coats. Did he always own them? Did Ren like playing dress up in his spare time? 

"Maker, is it cold." Kylo whispered, hands cramming around the light chargers for his datapad.

"I've survived in worse." Armitage glanced at him dismissively.

"Last time I noticed this was not a competition on who has survived more extreme conditions, General." Kylo spoke through gritted teeth, slamming the drawer shut.

"Well I didn't suspect the great leader of the Knights of Ren to be so sensitive on a drop in temperature." Hux barked back, also slamming his drawer, trying to outdo him. 

"How would you feel being placed in your father's house? Would you not hear the shadows of his footsteps around the corner of the hall?" 

"You have no right to compare this to my personal history. We all know you chose to abandon this." 

Ren's eyes widened. He was in the middle of pulling out bobby pins from his hair when Hux spoke, before he turned and dumped them in an ashtray on the booth. Clearly not it's best usage. He reached for a sapphire coloured bottle and he pulled out the cork with the Force, smelling it in case it was perfume. Dismissing his suspicion, Ren poured the brown liquid in a glass, back turned to Hux.

"Chose? _ Chose? _ I'm sorry your absolute Highness but I-" Kylo started, twirling around with the glass in his perfectly manicured hand. Hux grit his teeth dangerously.

"Save us the trouble and admit your dependency on other people's care for you made you desert your father's house." Hux spat, eyes determined to break down Kylo's surprise at his interrupted words.

"Give_ me _ the relief of hearing you tell the truth to yourself _ General _ and say you'd transfer to the opposing side if it weren't for your father." Kylo sipped on the liquid, closing his eyes.

"If we're going to go like this, Ren, I advise you to stop before you get your feelings hurt." It wasn't looking good, not at all, how Hux started feeling his pulse in his forehead.

"Go ahead, read me. Tell me what you truly think of me while I'm still capable of standing from this wine." Kylo tapped the glass. Hux noted that it wasn't wine.

"You're a child-minded man that had a lovely life and family that cared for him but left all that for the beckoning of a man who manipulated you. You're naive and don't understand how much Snoke really doesn't care for you." Armitage continued pulling off his overcoat, trying to ignore Kylo's shaking form opposite of him. This time, it was from anger.

"And you're a spineless git that encouraged patricide and works on dreams to impress his father, who didn't give a pfaask about you when he was alive, even less now that he's dead!" Kylo yelled, trying to drown his reddening eyes with the liquid inside his glass. He downed it in one go, gasping at what was probably the after effects of burning whiskey.

"I was tortured and abused! You were left 13 hours of the day alone and you developed emotional baggage that you torment everyone with! You'd deflect to the Resistance in the blink of an eye from all the immense guilt you're feeling inside of you for abandoning that perfect life you had before! Don't act strong on me Ren because you're always a moment away from breaking into tears. You're weak." 

Kylo didn't flinch, but flung the glass across the room, making Armitage move a step to the left and hear the fragile cup shatter against the wall. It hit him against the shin and thigh, but he didn't move an inch from where he was glaring at Ren. Kylo had already tears going down his face, tear tracks visible on his painted face. These were true tears. 

"Shut up!" He screamed, making Hux clench his jaw. Kylo turned a few times around himself and wiped at his nose with the back of his hand, before grabbing the ends of his robe carelessly, passing Armitage coldly into the unlit bathroom. The door slammed behind him, and Hux sighed.

Hux was pressing around his pockets for his packet of cigarettes, when a knock resounded on the door. He took a few steps and opened the door to the same handmaiden from before, pushing a tray of food. She bent her head a little inside when Ren appeared on the bathroom door, touching at his face with a cloth. 

"Your dinner, m'lady.” She nodded her head, looking at Hux as he was lighting his cigarette. The smell of smoke filled the air, making Kylo duck his head inside the bathroom again.

"Set it on the balcony. I've lost my appetite, Beneh. You go ahead." Hux knew he was hungry, but didn’t press on it. In fact, he merely just helped the maiden to set the table on the cold open balcony. In the meantime, he felt the datapad receive a call, so he shooed away the girl as politely as he could, locked the door, and left for the balcony.

"Supreme Leader Snoke.” Hux started, staring at the wavering hologram. He could sense the looming presence of Snoke even if he was so far away from them, making him sit straight in default on the chair and speak as clearly as he could. It was protocol. 

“The mission is going well, we have successfully placed ourselves in the enemy's belly. The Royal House of Naboo trusts us fully and have subdued to giving us the Amidala Resort on Lake Country for our usage during our stay.”

Snoke nodded, making Hux feel at least proud of the fact that they hid their identity well.

"Do they suspect anything?" 

"Not a thing." 

"Good. I count on you, General Hux. Where is Ren?" 

Hux looked up and away from the hologram, squinting his eyes through the dark of their shared room. Kylo Ren was still in the bathroom from the slightly crooked door, wiping off the traces of black makeup from under his eyes.

"He's..reading through the data of our trip. Making sure we weren't tracked." Hux hated lying in the Supreme Leader’s face.

"Very well. I expect another log tomorrow night, General, do not disappoint." 

"I will not. General Hux logging off." 

When the hologram phased out and his datapad was left on the side of the table to hopefully, not interrupt him any longer, Hux finally brought his burning cigarette to his lips and took a long drag. It hit straight into his lungs, making him sigh in relief when the nicotine rushed into his brain. Taking his time to actually take a breath in the burning chilly air, he notices that the storm has calmed down and once again he can see stars and Naboo’s three moons shining brightly in the sky.

The table was littered with small, round bowls filled with what Hux could only explain as clandestine to him. He wasn’t used to eating meals regularly, or eating at all, which resulted in his thin figure and greyish undertone. Peaches and apricot jam, dark olives and a type of braided-like bread that tasted like burnt sugar and vanilla. Hux didn’t know what to taste first, but he was well fixed on pouring himself a cup of tea from the large, white teapot, watching the steam roll in the air with a purple glow. 

He looked up when his cigarette had died in his fingers, pressing the butt of it into a plate he emptied of contents. Was he to blame he enjoyed the taste of blackberry jam? Kylo was walking around the room, holding a thick candle that wavered in the flame whenever air from the balcony door caught it. Hux sighed, cutting a boiled egg in half and pouring thinly sliced redsprout over it.

"You can't sit there and sulk forever, Ren." Kylo turned his head, now his face fully bare. He sneered gently, feeling the wax drip on his skin.

"Does it bother you?" 

Hux rolled his eyes, but gestured at the other cup opposite of him. 

"Your tea's getting cold. At least drink it for the handmaiden's sake. They sent the same one from the Theed Palace. She's keen on impressing you." 

Kylo stared at him from the doorway, seemingly processing what was said. Hux motioned with his fork towards the cup again when he ate half the egg, hearing Kylo grumble under his breath and footsteps approaching. The chair squeaked on the limestone when Kylo pulled it back, slumping into it and taking the cup in his large hands. 

Hux was surprised to find Kylo in yet _ another _dress, this one a very light violet with fur endings on the oversized sleeves, flowing tail and collar. He had tightened it just enough so it doesn’t fall off, and the fact that Kylo probably wasn’t wearing much under it made Hux wriggle in his seat. 

Kylo took a sip of his tea and sighed, his eyes closed and oblivious to Hux’s desperate staring. "It is quite well made. I taste honey." 

"You're wearing a dress again." Hux stated the obvious, kicking himself in the stomach mentally.

"I forgot my sleeping wear. And it's not a dress, it's a night robe. A dressing gown, of sorts." Kylo answered shortly with another sip of his tea, tightening the robe’s belt, if you could call it that.

"Shame." Hux murmured, before eating the rest of the egg.

Kylo was fairly quiet. Hux didn’t know if it was because he was tired, or from those strange pills he was taking which could be influencing his body weirdly, or maybe because of their argument before. Hux felt uncomfortable when Ren was quiet, preferring bickering over the silent solitude Kylo left him in. Hux also noticed that Kylo’s appetite had increased, eating two or three boiled eggs and a few pieces of bread with strawberry jam and honey. 

Hux _gagged_. He was allergic to strawberries. 

Hux poured himself another cup of tea (it truly was delicious) and stared over the balcony with his legs crossed. In the distance, Naboo looked beautifully lit up, like a thousand stars glowing at once on one single plane. During the day he had seen Naboo, when they arrived that is, and everything seemed so old and bland that he couldn’t believe the place was so lit up at night. He also recently noticed the vases of flowers on the edge of the balcony, blooming flowers peeking in front of the firefly like lights of Naboo’s houses.

"I don't understand." Armitage turned his head towards Kylo, who was busy licking off honey from his lower lip.

"Hm?" Kylo responded only slightly, too busy covering another piece of bread with jam. How much could the guy _ eat? _

"How does an extreme rarity of a planet like Naboo, with almost endless supplies of plasma, import their technology? I assumed it was more..Coruscant like, if I think of it clearly." Hux rubs his chin gently, searching through his packet for a new cigarette.

Kylo shrugged.

"Naboo prides itself in holding the traditional ways and using minimal tech required. They export the plasma as the generator already uses up so much for their homeplanet. I wouldn't trade it for Coruscant or Corellia or any other planet like that. The view is impeccable." Ren was right for once, Hux noticed, trying to pinpoint the waterfalls in the background.

A moment of silence passed.

"So what are we going to do now? Just attend pointless meetings until the end of our mission? Nelia manages to make me uncomfortable, she smiles too much." Armitage pushed his cigarette around his mouth, flicking his lighter. The cigarette end quickly lit up, a few huffs of smoke coming out of Hux’s mouth.

"It's her habit, General. Queens don't smile very often, but their consultants always keep a perfect face." Like orchestrated, Kylo smiled, showing those little dimples and gentle eyes that Hux’s heart seemed to do cartwheels at. Hux wanted to rip it out.

"You smile a lot for a Queen." Hux noted, pursing his lips in a smirk like expression.

Kylo rolled his eyes. "I'm not a Queen, I'm her godchild." 

Then, it was Hux’s turn to laugh bitterly. 

"In your dreams, Ren. Besides, you are close to royalty, through your grandmother. Tell me, what was she like? Unless you wish to keep that to yourself." 

Kylo hesitated for a moment, before he looked up at the vases of flowers on the right of them, his fingers tapping on the table. Hux wasn’t sure if Kylo was contemplating what to say about Amidala, or what topic to open. He opened his mouth to speak but was quickly interrupted by Ren. 

"She was, compassionate. She was loving and caring and wished only the best for my grandfather. It's such a shame I never met her." Kylo whispered the ends of his sentence, making Hux reminiscence of the statue he saw of her in the Theed palace.

"My apologies." Hux murmurs.

"Oh, well, that's how the galaxy works. You're here one day, the next you are gone." Kylo sighed, before pouring himself a glass of water.

“That was Darth Sidious’ fault. Her death,” Hux mentions and Kylo seems to enjoy the topic by the way his lips curl up at the ends. Armitage wasn’t quite sure if Kylo was the political type, and had never questioned it. But now, when they had only each other to talk to, he supposed they could know each other better. In case they wanted to kill one another tomorrow.

"Darth Sidious was cruel and ruthless and didn't care for his people as much as he cared for ruling with the Galaxy. In many terms, Snoke is your Sidious, is he not? Darth Vader was seduced by Sidious as you are by Snoke. Does that make Snoke Emperor?" Hux inquired, making Ren chuckle through his peach. The fruit’s juice went down his chin, making Hux look away and focus on his fingers, mainly the ring on his right hand.

'You are forgetting something, General." Hux squinted his eyes, and Kylo continued.

"Before Sidious was Emperor, he was..?" 

"Supreme Chancellor?" Hux fills in.

"Consultant to the Queen of Naboo." 

Hux leans into his chair and lifts one leg up to set on the table, before the other one went up as well, crossing them at the ankles. He crossed his arms and furrowed his brows, staring confusedly at Ren. The Knight seemed impressed by this sudden change of attitude in the ex-ginger.

"What're you implying, Ren?" 

"I'm implying that in the history of the galaxy, not all wars were won by brute strength. The Galactic Empire didn't rise up from winning battles and conquering star systems. It was won by democrats, rulers, sharp willed people. Men with skill in words and manipulators, not just liars, but full actors. That's how the Empire won it's battles, by seducing to their side. You'll never get to submerging the Galaxy in the First Order's drapes if you continue terrorizing and brutally murdering." Kylo was gently cutting up another egg, as if he wasn’t discussing the galaxy’s history, but the next spot for lunch tomorrow.

"Then what do you suggest? I suddenly regret my ways and reconcile my words in front of the audience on HoloNet?" 

Kylo genuinely laughed, a deep chuckle resonating against Hux’s body that surprised Armitage to no ends. He’s heard Kylo laugh, but never like this.

"What I suggest, my dear General, is diplomacy.” Kylo couldn’t look that attractive speaking through an egg yolk filled mouth. Hux was just ** _tired._ **

"So you're still on the side of the Resistance." As stupid as it sounded, Armitage believed it. Why wouldn’t Ren be on the side that constantly seems to win against all odds? Sometimes Hux felt like the only one who truly believed in the First Order’s power.

"I'm on the side that supports the ruling that belongs to one man, in secret. Calling it an Empire has a bad ring, doesn't it?"

Hux nodded. 

"I suppose it does. But I don't wish for diplomacy. I wish to rule." 

Kylo set down his fork and reached for a napkin, patting his mouth dry.

"That sounds much like a dictatorship." 

Hux nodded, taking an apple from the bowl.

"If it works.." 

Kylo let himself indulge in the feeling of a full stomach for once. He was basically laying in the chair, eyes barely open, his skin cooled by the passing breeze. He could feel the Force radiating off of every single object around them, especially whenever he looked at Armitage. He had such a strong green aura around him that it hurt to look at it directly, which meant Kylo resorted to merely looking over him. Making eye contact last was Ren’s worst weakness, as he could only read the Force around the person, and not them. 

His head was bowed to the side, looking at the Naboo houses from where he was seated. There were families there, preparing and harvesting for the spring festival. He was glad this mission got to be on one of the most beautiful festivals in the Mid Rim area. He was sure Armitage didn’t know of it, and the preparations might catch him unguarded. Arkanis was never the most appreciative planet for art, Kylo had noticed.

Then, Hux spoke again and ruined the peaceful silence, removing Kylo’s eyes from where he was playing with the hemline of his robe. 

"If you could, would you defect to the other side? Do you regret what you left behind?" Hux simply asked, taking the few last tugs of his cigarette before setting it out like the one before it. Kylo’s eyes roamed Hux’s large aura, amber eyes searching for a hidden meaning in the words. None were found. 

Kylo tilted his head to the other side and leaned on his palm, staring at Hux.

"I am not quite sure. If you found yourself in the jaws of the monster, would you run or stand with it to let it eat you?" 

With that, Hux nodded solemnly. 

"I suppose I understand." 

"It's never too late for me to leave, if I ever find a reason to go back.” Kylo whispered mostly to himself, sighing heavily. He was not the one to regret many of his actions, as he hated being proved wrong, but this situation he had gotten himself in could have been solved if he didn’t leave at all. 

Sometimes, he meditated on the question. He never got a truly concrete answer.

"You have no reason to be on our side, still. You've proven your strength to Brendol, why persist?" Kylo pointed the question to the General, making him stir out of his thoughts quickly. Armitage was a rapid thinker, but sometimes a bad hider of his true feelings, especially to Force sensitive individuals like Ren. Kylo saw the defiance and hiding in Hux’s answer, making him sigh.

"I suppose I'm looking for a reason to defect, too."

"There's no one you trust on the First Order, and people have been proven to be better on the other side." Kylo persisted, biting the inside of his cheek.

"That's the point; I don't belong there. I'm not a good man." Hux also persisted, making this apparent that it was going to be a stubborn fight to win this argument. Kylo realized quickly that Hux was not a good opinion changer, but a very easy companion when needed. So, Kylo let it be.

"We all don't belong, it's just a matter of time you realize the First Order is too crowded for you." He only responded, twiddling with the hemline again.

"If you truly set your mind to it, would you leave?" Hux croaks out gently, as if afraid that he’d scare Kylo away.

Kylo closed his eyes, hearing Leia’s voice in his head, before answering.

"In a heartbeat."

The moments they shared between them were still quiet enough and thickly buzzing in their ears. Kylo could basically feel the blood rushing through his veins and Hux could tell from how far away exactly the crickets were chirping. 5, 10..Maker knows how many minutes passed before the tiles creaked and Hux stood up, his whole body seemingly yawning with his mouth as he stretched.

“Well, I should appreciate this time that I-”

A sudden blast stopped Hux from finishing his sentence and he pulled out his blaster to shoot whoever or whatever made that noise, grasping the table with his other hand. Kylo, who was still very much sitting in his chair, unbothered, only pointed towards the sky for Hux to turn his head.

Fireworks. They were setting off _fireworks_. 

“Wh- H-” Hux choked, trying to set the blaster back in his belt and forget the fact that he basically_ jumped _ in front of Ren’s side to prevent him from harm. 

“Festival of Glad Arrival.” Kylo speaks up, watching the changing colours of the nearby light show, watching as they shaped forms like birds and stars in the night sky. Hux turned to him, stared at him as if he was a madman for not reacting properly to the blast, before it ticked in his head.

Kylo was probably expecting this. He has Force vision. _ Maker. _

“And do you mind clarifying to me what that Festival is about?” Hux blurted out, leaning against the table as he stared at the current round of rolling fireworks and their show of spinning in the sky like a quick diving ship.

“It’s a springtime festival, General. It celebrates blooming and all new things to come.” Kylo watched as Hux’s face was lit up by reds and then greens and blues, making him tilt his head to observe Hux’s parted lips and dancing ocean eyes. 

“And what happens?” Armitage breathed, almost mesmerized. He suddenly remembered he was in presence of Ren and snapped his head towards him, looking down. “On the festival.”

“They use Lake Country for the celebration. Masquerade most days, flower themed of course.” Kylo chattered, amused by the child like wonder Armitage was expressing. “Do you know how to dance, General? The festival includes too much dancing for us to miss out.”

Hux, at that, looked down at his thin hands, shaking his head. “Other than your standard waltz, I’ve never bothered with more.”

Kylo’s quick standing from his seat and his fast grab of Hux’s hand was enough to make Armitage’s head spin, eyes widened twice the size they usually were. His one hand was held by Kylo’s, which overlapped his in many ways, sliding through his fingers and touching his palm openly, almost caressing the skin. His other hand, however, lead Hux’s to the small of Kylo’s back, making him press for leverage on the thin fabric covered flesh. Armitage stared, eyes still wide as Kylo typed a quick few words into the nearby datapad with his Force usage, setting the datapad away from them. The hand that had been leading Hux before was now steadily gripping on the general’s shoulder. 

“First dance you should learn.” He starts, closing his eyes. The music started. Hux’s heart almost froze in embarrassment. “Ren, this isn’t-”

“If you want to seem true to your story, while on our mission, you’ll go through this and follow my lead.” Kylo commanded, making Hux feel like he was more likely to hear this on a battlefield and not in the yard of one deceased known Queen, holding the hands of her grandchild. Hux didn’t negotiate, simply nodded, as there was no politics involved here. 

The music started.

Hux recognized violins (or at least stringed instruments in the beginning), his ears trying to pick up every tune of the music. His hold on Ren was loosened by the Force user himself, as Ren put his hands on his hips and spun gently in front of Hux. “You’re supposed to clap along to the music here,” Ren said through a gentle smile, setting a clapping rhythm for Hux before his own claps were drowned by the Generals. He would tilt his head low and then do the same on the other side, as if bowing or checking his feet. Armitage found it funny, but endearing, how Kylo cared enough to show Hux a dance he had never heard of. 

Kylo spun until Hux was sure he would fall down, but he never did, instead he took Hux by the wrist and continued spinning, only slower, and in place. “You place one leg over the other and I follow. Watch.” Kylo held Hux the same way he did before, pressing his chest almost flush against Hux’s, pressing his foot against Hux’s ankle to show him how it was done. Whenever they raised their heads to look at each other, they were inches apart. The violin was depressing, and it wailed a song Hux had never heard of.

Ren took a hold of Hux's hand a bit stronger now, gently smiling in his general direction but the ginger knew he was smiling to the imagined audience. They were dancing for the sake of the Festival, of course. Nothing more. His other hand held up his violet nightdress, the drapings of it gathering around his ankles and gleaming against the balcony’s floor. He wondered how it would look like in the meadow, with Kylo dancing in between flowers, hopefully barefoot, that same glint of childish excitement dancing in his eyes like a campfire. The violin strung out, making Hux’s heart wail for someone he didn’t know, and a woman he didn’t want.

Hux couldn't do much more than follow Kylo's leading and listen to the sad voice of the man on the datapad, eyes watchful of Ren's hooded amber ones. Ren had that stare that melted every piece of Hux, making him feel things he thought he wasn’t capable of feeling.

Hux turned and spun like Kylo told him to, undoing a button on his vest so he doesn’t ruin it in the process of dancing. He feels the violins pull at his heart gently, jade eyes fixed on Kylo’s barely showing ankles and light footsteps. 

His feet started picking up on the gentle speeding up of the violins in the back, starting to fall a little behind on his dancing. He resorted to trying to catch the rhythm, but deliberately failing, his chuckles echoing in the empty palace surely. Kylo let go of Hux as he spun around and around like a carousel, his eyes shining as if he were a child made of pure starlight. 

Hux couldn’t possibly keep up. The violin rolled as Kylo skipped over his own legs, his tongue sticking through the gap between his teeth adorably. He held up the robe just a little and pulled Hux towards the edges of the balcony, the new tests for the fireworks already playing behind their heads. Hux’s ears were filled with Kylo’s sweet laugh, his lungs trying to collect every fragrance Kylo gave off.

"On the terms of our marriage arrangement..!" Hux yelled over the music, making Kylo stop as the next line started swaying a little slower. 

"You can return the ring to me when the mission is over. Care not to lose it, it's valuable." Kylo smiled, making Hux feel a flush coming over him. He could feel the rings on Kylo’s hands as well.

"I don't mean that." Hux twirled Kylo once, feeling himself get natural with the steps already. He was a fast learner.

"Then?”

"Have you ever..thought of marriage?" Hux whispered, the ring on his hand gently slipping when Kylo pulled his hand too roughly. The music was slow and quiet in the back again.

"Well that's an unexpected question. I believe I can't push myself into a marriage." Kylo answered, preparing himself for the chorus again.

"Why not?" Armitage caught the red reflection of the fireworks behind them.

"My vows forbid me to. I mustn't form a relationship with anyone.”

"Not even-" Hux started, but Kylo was already gone.

"Yes, not even kiss anyone or have sex with them. It's a celibacy vow!" Kylo pulled on Hux’s vest gently as he went around him, making Hux smile like a fool and push his hair back.

"So you've never slept with anyone?" 

"Why these questions, General?" Kylo inquired, before taking Hux’s hands again, but Armitage didn’t mind, he only wished to be close to Ren again.

"I'm just curious." _ Lies. _

"I haven't. And I don't plan to. Physical pleasure is not my thing.”

Hux furrowed his brows but didn’t answer anything, continuing to lock his ankles around Kylo’s gracefully. Kylo stared at him, breathless. 

“What, are you scared I will make you lose your virginity?” Kylo joked.

“I’ve already lost it, I’m afraid of losing something else.” Hux laughed, but felt his insecurity gently rise like foam in his throat. 

“What, your sanity?” Kylo cackled again, hands holding onto Hux’s neck.

_ My ability to hate you. _

Kylo’s eyes went from excited to confused as he read Hux’s mind by accident, not having the moment to stop himself as it was so loud he heard it without concentrating. Hux held him by the waist, chest heaving heavily as the last of the fireworks burned in the background, lighting the sky like fire. Jade eyes met honey.


	4. What's Your Favourite?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo and Hux discuss on topics of flowers.

It took a while for Hux to actually relax and settle into their shared bed for this mission, before he drifted off into a semi-comfortable dream. 

When the fireworks had stopped, Hux let go of Ren and they parted without a word. Carrying the plates and cups inside with the help of Kylo's Force and Hux's trained ability to carry glasses and plates balanced on his palm, they soon had cleared the balcony of any trace of them bring outside and everything seemed like they had found it. Thankfully, the handmaiden was constantly waiting outside of the bedroom, until Hux informed her that they would be sleeping and she should go to sleep as well. He also added in that she should make it a habit to wake him up by seven hundred hours if he wasn't already awake. At that, the girl's shoulders slumped and she thanked him briefly. The plates were carried away by her and she left her post, hopefully for the entire night. Armitage closed the door and sighed. 

Kylo was already preparing to go to sleep. His back was turned to Hux and he was rubbing his hands together, his thumb kneading into his palm. There was a small bottle of blue lotion on the nightstand next to him and the room started smelling like blueberries. Hux figured out it was a type of oil or lotion.

Hux found that when the lights in their room were dimmed too low, the bathroom immediately lights up when you open it's door. It was useful, as he didn't to resort to using flame as if this was BBY. He didn't quite understand why Naboo, owning it's own power generator, didn't supply their houses and mansions with more power and technology than this. He could swear that he had not seen one droid pass while he was inside, neither in Theed or in Varykino. His eyes settled on the smaller details he hadn't noticed in the bathroom before, like the marble statues of lovers grasping at one another in the corners of the room and the gold rose petals and thorns surrounding the wall around the large, oval mirror.

Hux slipped into his nightwear, which consisted of simple navy blue pants and a long-sleeved top, with a small button at his collar. He washed his hands and his face with what he found was ice cold water, making his fingers cram up and his translucent skin turn red. He stared at himself in the mirror and ran a hand through his now brown hair, hating how it fell constantly in his eyes and indicated that it was a time for a haircut. He sometimes wished it never grew, so he wouldn't have another worthless thing to care about in his stressful life. His reflection in the mirror screamed _'What am I doing?' _to him and he shook his head, resorting to just leaving already and trying to get some sleep. 

When he exited the bathroom, he found Ren fast asleep on his side, facing away from Armitage. The door of the balcony was still quite open, letting in a fresh breeze that carried the violet curtains and draped across Ren's feet. Armitage tried to be quiet for Ren's sake, closing the door gently without making a sound. He let himself slip under the blood red blanket and wriggled in until he was comfortable. His body made no imprint into the bed and the mattress was heavily pressed on Kylo's side, but Hux didn't seem to bother. He felt sleep rush to his eyes as soon as his head hit the soft pillow, letting out a mute yawn before settling to sleep on his stomach. Hand underneath the pillow and his head turned towards Kylo, he stared as the soft waves of the curtains left flowing shadows on Kylo's being. He was still wearing the nightgown but he wasn't covered with the blankets, seemingly hugging himself around the stomach as he slept. Hux didn't even notice Ren inhaling or exhaling, and it almost worried him. If it wasn't for his chest only slightly elevating with every breath, he would've thought Ren was dead.

He couldn't sleep for a while. His eyes were drawn on Ren and the black curls coiling on the pillow underneath his head, the back of his neck and his pale skin which looked like the night sky with all those beauty marks replacing stars. He almost had the urge to touch him, press his fingertips against Ren's shoulders and feel the heartbeat protrude through the other side, but he retreated his hand many times. 

When he was finally starting to fall asleep, he felt movement. His eyes opened and he was leaning on his elbow so he could straighten up, but he was in no harm's way, when it was only Ren turning in his sleep. 

Hux set his head onto the pillow again as Kylo turned to face him now, hand resting in the space between him and Hux. Armitage stared at the ringed hand, tracing every curve of the metal that he could see visible. He didn't want to wake up Ren from this gentle moment he was having by doing something the Force user could easily sense. He felt like he should be holding his breath in so Ren is undisturbed. His face was in complete serenity for the first time since he took off the combat helmet in front of Hux, and the general could tell that he needed this rest more than he would admit. The moon Veruna was turned on their side, and framed the back of Kylo's head through the window, making shadows fall over Kylo's sleeping features from where Hux was looking. 

It was well passing midnight for the residents of Naboo when Hux finally fell asleep, the blanket coiled around his body and draped across his shoulders, hand feeling the warmth of Kylo's, but never touching it. 

When Hux woke up, he was alone. 

At first, he thought that the entire mission was just a dream his deprived mind had made up and he was currently back in his quarters on Snoke's ship. The faint smell of blueberries and the sun shining through the window made it clear that that was not the case.

Armitage straightened up, running his palm over his sticky face, making a disgusted groan filter through his lips when he felt the dried drool on the side of his face. He looked around himself, finding no trace of Ren or one of his headpieces. He couldn't put his finger on which one, though, as they were all seemingly too complicated for him to remember. He turned his head to look into the bathroom, but it was also empty, the open door and dried footprints coming out of the bathtub making Armitage note that Ren had indeed woken up before him and was now dressed and washed. 

Hux kicked the blankets off from around his ankles and swung his legs to the side of the bed. It took a bit more convincing as the mattress and pillows were too comfortable to ignore, but Hux kicked himself in the shin mentally and got up to wash. 

The water left in the vases beside the bathtub was not hot, but mild enough for him not to consider drowning in the emerald tub. It was hard getting used to this reverting to the older ways considering Hux lived constantly on a ship with nothing but advanced technology and hot showers where he regulated his temperature by hand. Now, he had to do things like choose an oil, wash himself, actually _relax. _He sunk deep into the tub when he had poured the water in, choosing a simple cinnamon like scented oil for fragrance. He didn't take too long, but enjoyed the soothing of the oil down to his bones. If the water were a tad warmer he might have fallen asleep in there. His after routine wasn't too long either - dry, find clothes to wear and find Ren.

His hair was still damp when he set his mind on finding Kylo. He noticed that he had left his communicator on the booth and cursed under his breath, rendering calling him useless. He turned to the balcony, making a few steps before peeking through, seeing no one outside but a pair of pheasants walking alongside the balcony edge. Running a hand over the back of his neck, he furrowed his brows and looked around himself in frustration. Even worse, he noted, checking that the time was close to nine hundred hours and not close to when he asked the handmaiden to wake him. He didn't notice that he was feeling more refreshed than ever and that the dark circles under his eyes were subsiding, just the fact that he had overslept mattered. 

Hux adjusted the blaster to his belt and looked himself over in the reflection of the glass door again, lips pursed. He had chosen a dark suit that resembled his general uniform, just more elegant. The vest underneath the jacket was double buttoned, the jacket undone but if he so desired he could button it down to two on the center, with no back vents and his sleeves cuffed. Other than being plain opal in colour, there was hand stitched golden roses and vines on the entirety of his long jacket, making the morning coat a little more royal than the rest of his military based suits.

When he left the room, hands gently gliding into his usual leather gloves, he was met by a handmaiden, who nodded her head to him and stood in silence as she waited for him to pass. Hux slipped his right hand in, careful for the ring not to slip off.

"Have you seen Larnida?" He asks, hands setting behind his back as the girl nodded.

"Yes, sir, she left early this morning."

Hux fished through his pockets for the ear plugs Ren had gave him, checking it was on. When the handmaiden inspected it from where he was turning it between his fingers, he dismissed her with his hand, making her look away. "I can't hear well without these. Would you mind speaking again?"

She cleared her throat and waited for the 'marshal' before she spoke, wettening her lower lip with her tongue. "The madam exited Varykino early this morning to pay her homage to Shiraya."

"Shiraya?" Hux squinted when the girl moved away from a large statue behind her of a winged woman, holding something which seemed like a half-circle. "Shiraya, your Grace. Lady Larnida departed this morning to the Funeral Temple with some offerings for her. I can escort you to the Temple if you so desire."

Hux shook his head, placing a finger on the tip of the statue's wings. "There's no need. Is there a ship I could borrow to get there?"

The maiden looked towards one of the Royal Guards standing near the entrance of the palace, rolling her shoulder a little. "A V-19 landspeeder is what we use, they send them from the Hangar. Will it be a problem for you to wait as we receive them?" 

Hux sighed, palming the cigarette pack in his pocket. At least he could have a smoke before leaving, if he had to wait for transport. "It's no worry."

Armitage let himself indulge in the clear air surrounding him as he stood on the balcony from one of the palace's towers. His hands were fumbling with the packet and he grumbled in the back of his throat when he saw that he had only two left. He wondered, and doubted, that there was a good store where he could buy his general cigarettes. He decided he should keep the last one when absolutely necessary, and spent the next few moments trying to light the cigarette in the breeze. Cupping his hand at the end of it, he huffed and his brows relaxed, eyes closing as he felt the familiar hit of taste inside his mouth. He opened his eyes again, staring at the water surrounding the island. 

The night before he didn't have time to see Varykino in a good light, as it was raining and dark and he really didn't have the patience to soak into the rain while admiring the resort's greenery. Now, though, as he waited for the transport to arrive, he had time to watch. He had time to sink in the positive beauty that was the everlong horizon stretching as far as his eyes could see. He jumped from tree to tree and to the curves of the mountains and hills, while his body was thrummed with an unfamiliar feeling of tranquility.

He didn't have much time to look into the buildings and carvings of the balcony when one of the Guards asked him if he was ready to leave, making Armitage nod and give one last appreciative look at the morning bliss the lake was bathing in. He followed the man towards the transport that was parked in front of the palace, wavering over the water and making the liquid ripple. He stepped over the stable ground and into the ship, making it bob slightly and helping the other man into the ship. He was the one to drive, since Hux was the guest and he didn't navigate Naboo well. From what he understood, the Funeral Temple was just on the outskirts of Theed, and was used as a sacrifical place where Nabooians mourned the death of their loved ones. Hux wondered what Kylo was doing there. 

The ride there was not too long, just enough for Hux to put out the cigarette from the exterior of the speeder. The Guard asked if he should be accompanying Armitage inside, which he of course politely refused, leaving the speeder when they hit stable land. He was adjusting the sides of his jacket when he found himself in front of round, well lit building, climbing the stairs up and getting a good look inside.

There wasn't much to see and Hux felt a little disappointed, considering all the things he saw during his time on Naboo. He did, however, notice Ren staring through one of the large windows towards the waterfalls in the distance, not making much a move but to tilt his head lower. Hux could only describe the robe Ren was wearing as a full body covering cloth, a silk white dress with peach undertones that slowly subsides to a gentle red the lower and lower it went. The material covered almost all of Kylo's skin, the tail of the dress dragging with him undoubtedly whenever he walked. Hux doubted he could actually rise it any higher than the floor without his arms giving up, noticing the overcoat of the same material tightly binding Kylo's torso. He had pearls hanging off of every visible part of his body, lacing his waist, the ends of his dress, the depths of his collar and the sleeves. Ren's hair was, not really his, in this situation, as Hux could see the layers of black hair that was added onto Kylo's real one. It was wavy and reaching the middle of his waist, with a thick braid hanging in the middle. While the headdress Hux now remembered was a fan-like crown that was covered in strings of pearls at it's base. Hux wasn't doubting that Ren's face was completely painted as well. 

As soon as he put his foot to step inside the Palace, Kylo motioned with his hand for him to stop, making Hux open his mouth to say something, but be cut off quickly. 

"Before you enter," He said, lowering his hand so the sleeve covered it again. "You must know that this is a place for grieving, and it's unwise to lie and be dishonest here." Kylo turned with the help of the wall, looking back at Hux. His body was truly completely covered, which made Hux feel almost uneasy. In the center of his dress lay a large jewel, surrounded by bits and materials of the dress that was dyed sunset orange and deep red. Kylo kneaded his hands together and stared at Hux, pursing his painted lips.

"Do you wish to do so?" At that, Hux stepped inside, hands crossed in front of his chest. It seemed like Kylo caught the message in his eyes and he looked down, letting Hux investigate the inside of the temple. He felt almost touched by the calm of the palace, his hand reaching to touch the ashen pyre in the middle of the arena. Looking up, Hux noticed the light coming in and basically giving a spotlight to that certain area of the Palace from the large opening on the ceiling. When he looked closely, he saw the overgrowing flowers from the outside of the Palace. Kylo continued his stare through the window, looking at the empty bridge and the large tower on the other side of the temple. 

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Hux asked, feeling the echo of his words touch his very soul. The river underneath the bridge was running steadily, unbothered by the two men in the nearby establishment. Kylo shrugged and the pearls shone when the light caught them, making Hux glance from him towards the clear water of Solleu. 

"I didn't want to ruin your peace." Kylo answered, hands still fumbling underneath the sleeves. He seemed distressed. 

"What about your peace? You seem like you're not enjoying your stay here." Hux pointedly spoke again, now getting used to the emptiness around them. He felt like they were truly alone, even if he could see the flickering silhouettes of people walking in the distance of a city away from the temple. 

A long moment passed before Kylo even attempted at answering, tilting his head to the side with a solemn smile on his face. "This Temple has been used by Nabooians for centuries. They mourn their dead here, celebrate their lives, burn their bodies.." Kylo motioned to the funeral pyre behind them. "They believe the body should be burned two days after their death, so their soul properly leaves their body. Ashes are then discarded from the Livet Tower and into Solleu, where the friends and family of the deceased reflect into the Eternal Flame and get reminded of their mortality once more." Kylo turned his body so he was facing Hux and leaning against the wall with his back, small pieces of the added hair framing his thin face. Hux could still make out gentle traces of marks underneath the white paint. 

"They are reminded to live in harmony, in peace, fulfill the virtues they've been taught to follow." Kylo continued, and Hux didn't feel compelled to add something, considering Brendol never cared to speak about religion and virtues, only the Empire. Hux didn't understand how Kylo still cared for these beliefs, but he didn't wish to disrespect him, only nodding along and trying to make sense of everything Ren was talking about. He knew Arkanis had some remnant of a religion but he didn't wish to look into it. He felt like whatever he had done through his life was probably against every religion in the galaxy. 

"The Brotherhood of Cognizance used to look after this temple, but their number faltered to almost none after the fall of the Galactic Republic," Kylo watched Hux's eyes scramble through the area before settling on Kylo's, making Hux feel almost wilt under the pressure of his gaze. He always felt like Kylo knew what was going on in his head even if Hux was more than familiar with the pain and buzz of Kylo's presence inside his head. He didn't wish to be figured out, he wanted to be an enigma like he was to the rest of the First Order, but somehow Ren was capable of constantly stripping him of his mask. 

"She wasn't burned here." Kylo sighs and touches at the pearls on his neck, breaking the eye contact with Armitage. He stared at the pyre as if seeing something there other than dust. "She wasn't cremated, her body is kept in a mausoleum. Her funeral was lovely." Kylo was starting to tremble again and he touched the corners of his eyes with the back of his fingers, laughing a little. "It was unexpected, but that's what she wished for."

Hux took a long, silent moment before reaching for Kylo's arm, touching it gently. Kylo immediately turned to look at him, lips parted and eyes almost sorrowful. Hux sympathized with him and he wished he could express it, but his hand only slipped down and he cleared his throat when the connection was gone. 

"I haven't gone back to Arkanis ever since my father died." He didn't want to say after he was murdered, because he knew Kylo knew, but didn't wish to admit. He licked his lips as he found them dry, hand still twitching from the electricity shared between him and Ren. Kylo nodded, straightening up and clenching his jaw. 

"But it's a pleasure to be here with you." At that, Kylo looked away, even turned his body away to start descending down the stairs and out of the temple. Hux didn't realize what was happening until he could only see Kylo's outline on the bridge, making him rush down the stairs after him. The echoes of the footsteps felt like wails and cries of mourning when he ran down, the crunching of pebbles underneath his boots filling his ears. Kylo was leaning on the edge of the bridge, staring down at the water when Hux reached him, expression contorted into one of confusion. 

Hux gulped dryly, but didn't back down, instead going up to Kylo's side and breathing in the flower perfume that hit his senses when he approached. Kylo's hands curled around the fence of the bridge and he stared at Hux, his brows furrowing even more. 

"You asked me to be honest, yes?" Hux whispered, a little breathless. He felt Kylo's gentle prodding through his head and he grabbed his wrist, trying to stop him. It seemingly worked.

"Then.." Hux felt his neck tint turn red and his hand let go of the grip on Kylo's covered wrist, trying to find words. Trying to find _meaning_ in what he was doing. He felt the ring on his finger and suddenly, he was reminded of what he was doing here. They weren't sent to play games, to act like cat and mouse through the ruins of Naboo. They were here on a mission to work through the Resistance on the inside._ No attachments,_ Brendol's voice whispered in the back of his mind and Hux shuddered.

"What is this?" Hux only managed, putting his thumb up against Kylo's lower lip, flat on the red line in the middle of it. Kylo's expression changed and he closed his eyes, before smiling and breaking into a giggle, making Hux ease into a chuckle himself. His pointer finger was crooked under Kylo's chin, lifting his head upwards. Ren brought his own hand up and moved away Hux's hand, turning it to the side. "It's called a scar of remembrance. Queens of Naboo wore it. And you're ruining it."

Hux moved away from Kylo when the Knight started wriggling in the small spot, dusting himself on the front of his dress. Then, he pulled that gentle, neutral expression on his face and looked towards the Guard which had brought Hux there. "If you're still willing for us to fill our time, we can always go to Lake Country. The nearby lake meadow is even better than the island resort." Hux knew he didn't have much of a choice, so he nodded, following Ren back to the speeder.

* * *

"You're an asshole!" Kylo exclaimed, touching the sets of pearls still hanging from his head. Hux smirked, touching the fluffy ends of the headdress. He got his hand slapped off soon after. "It's not a duster, it's a Shiraya fan headdress. I had to wear it when exiting Varykino because I said I was worshiping Shiraya."

"And were you?"

"It's not your place to question." Kylo huffed, slipping a strawberry through his gently parted lips. Hux stared at the long meadow beneath them, laying his head soon on the fresh grass. It was truly a quite isolated place. Kylo had spent the past hour explaining it's meaning to Naboo, while Hux dug through the fresh fruits and nodded semi-interested in Kylo's talking. 

"And what's this?" Hux placed his finger square onto the jewel on Kylo's chest. He earned a gentle hum from the son of Alderaan and he moved his hand away, nestling it to rest between the small flowers growing around them.

"Jewel of Zenda. It's quite common on Naboo. My grandmother wore it on her throne headpiece, some wore it as a pendant. I asked them to sew it into this dress." Kylo responded.

"And what is this dress for you? And where did you even get these dresses and robes when we were assigned this mission?"

Kylo snorted, rolling his eyes. "Sosha Soruna has been lost for months, but her wardrobe isn't. I just made some alterations. And, this is my outing gown."

Hux tried to stifle a laugh, but he didn't manage, making Kylo push him against the grass again. Though, this time Hux grabbed Kylo's wrist and pulled the younger man towards him, feeling the cold pieces of Kylo's heavy jewelry touch his skin. Kylo stared at him, dumbfounded, but Hux didn't seem to mind. 

"What are your favourite flowers, General?" Kylo whispered, his words barely over the sound of the breeze. Hux felt himself shudder under the gentle voice, shrugging. 

"I've never-"

"I doubt you don't have a favourite flower."

At that, Hux looked away, smiling. "Blue roses." He had noticed them when they were coming to Lake Country, touching over his hand sewn rose pattern. Kylo smiled, before grasping his hands around Hux's cheeks gently, cupping his face. Hux stared up at him but didn't deny the touch, more so leaned into it. 

"Unattainable, unreachable affection. Love at first sight." Kylo murmured, his eyelids fluttering closed as he pressed his lips on Hux's.

The kiss tasted like a full plethora of berries and felt like a touch of heaven, making Hux melt like chocolate in Kylo's hands. He kissed back, almost hungrily, and could sense how inexperienced Kylo was. He sucked on Kylo's lower lip, making the Prince shudder and flutter his eyelashes. Hux's hands went to hold Kylo's hips from over the dress, losing his fingers between the silk and the clippings as Kylo continued kissing him, trying his best to mimic Hux's motions. At last, they parted, making Hux want more, looking at Kylo's satisfied, curious, and dreamy expression when he moved away.

"What about you?" Hux murmured.

"White orchids." Kylo said, before pressing his lips down again, making Hux smile secretly. 

_Humility, innocence, elegance._


	5. The One Where Nothing Happens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo and Hux spend a boring day on Naboo.

Walking back to the palace was less of a feat than what Hux imagined. Their plates and remnants of their so-called picnic were wrapped into the blanket and carried by Hux, while Kylo settled on lacing his fingers together underneath the long, draping sleeves of his gown. They walked slowly, taking time to appreciate the peaceful nature of Naboo, even investigating the local towns outside of Theed.

Dee'ja Peak was as far as they went, with Kylo being swarmed by small, local children who touched at the ends of his gown and asked him questions about the human capital of the planet. Hux noticed that this was a local farming community, taking in the unnatural green colour of the grass underneath his feet and the thin mist surrounding him. He got a bit winded while walking up to here, as the chain of the Gallo Mountains was meant for recreation climbing and not for a steady walk through the park. He was sitting on a bench as he stared at the rocky sides of the mountain, taking in sharp breaths and trying to adjust to the thin air at such a height. When he looked up, he could see the outline of the moon Onoam, glinting at him through the clouds in the sky. It was like it was smiling, though he knew far better than to assume that it was grinning at him.

Kylo seemed rather unphased by their climbing escapade. Regarding him more physically fit and not carrying sets of crystalline in a blanket, Hux understood why he didn't seem to lack breath. He tried not to get caught staring at the other man, currently lowering his barriers just a little as he braided a toddler girl's hair. Not regarding the large dress and the layers ruffling around him, Ren was sitting in midst of the grass, like he had been doing a few hours ago. The children made the false assumption that Ren was an upcoming Queen, and they didn't question it, as nothing currently could set him apart from late Queen Amidala. Hux touched his lips gently, looking away. _It was just a spur of the moment. Don't mention it again._

They didn't visit Lake Paonga, rather settled on staring at it's shimmering water from afar. Hux shifted his weight from one leg to another, blue eyes dancing alongside the soapy waves that gently crashed into the sandy resorts. He turned to Kylo, who looked unreadable and in peace, his makeup smeared just a little from the playful running around with the local children.

_"Are you the Queen's husband?" One of the children asked, holding up a bouquet of wilting dandelion-like flowers in their hands. Hux took the flowers and stared at Kylo, who in turn batted his eyelashes and rolled his large, brown eyes._

_"Escort," Hux smiled, knowing that whatever he said here would not matter to the royal family back in the palace, "I'm just a friend."_

As they walked into the confines of the Palace, Hux stared at the rows and baskets of red flowers hanging from every terrace, the fresh drops of water from the fountains hitting his skin and the black suit he wore. He noticed how the flowers were turned to face the fountains, a normal reaction from flora, he assumed.

"What's on your mind, General?" Kylo asked, looking at the ginger-turned-brunet man walking next to him. At first, Hux only stared at him questioningly, but later shurgged and shook his head, replacing his view of Kylo's face with the statue of Amidala behind him. It wasn't any better, he thought, as he stared at what became only a younger version of the man in front of him. 

"Nothing much. The First Order, this place, the old Republic," He lies through his teeth, setting the blanket down on one of the tables beside them. He took a seat on one of the peripheral stairs and watched as Kylo ran his fingers over freshly watered blue lillies, making their heads turn towards his gloved hand as if he was the Sun. He was probably using the Force to do that. Kylo's footsteps became heavy as he walked around the courtyard, looking around. He was checking if someone was around, before letting out a deep sigh.

"They're far away from us, Hux, and we have no reason to be worrying ourselves with the Order and the Finalizer." He speaks, setting his arms crossed over his chest. Hux looked down at the rubble underneath his boots, gently crushing it with the rubber heel. He didn't notice when Kylo set a hand on his shoulder, but merely sighed in retaliation. 

"Out of all the things you could've said, you are right," he chuckles, looking up at a now smiling Ren. "You're becoming more sensible now that you're here."

At that, Kylo pats Hux's shoulder and looks up at the darkening sky, focusing on the ships flying over the palace. "It's what this place does to you, it gives you time to think. I refuse to think about things that worry me while I'm here."

Hux laughed. "And what are you thinking about then, Ren?"

"The past." He touches one of the sides of the wall and Hux nods, touching the ends of the beads hanging from Kylo's waist. 

"You look like your grandmother."

"Maybe because she's my grandmother?"

"..Very smart."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this hiatus went on for so long. I promise I'll try to write more and less bullshit (like this).


End file.
